Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and United States Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and United States

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Cuba versus $2,622 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,316 in Cuba versus $3,830 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,696 in Cuba versus $5,038 in United States.

Living in Cuba costs about 64% less than in United States on average.

Cuba (32% below) and United States (91% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.89 CUP 141

$19.78 $19.78

-70.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.97 CUP 599

$81.4 $81.4

-69.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 CUP 160

$12.11 $12.11

-45.09%

Cappuccino

$1.77 CUP 42.42

$5.44 $5.44

-67.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CUP 42.13

$2.67 $2.67

-34.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 CUP 26.43

$2.08 $2.08

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 CUP 49.00

$6.06 $6.06

-66.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CUP 60.2

$8.14 $8.14

-69.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 CUP 65.3

$1.05 $1.05

159.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CUP 29.26

$3.65 $3.65

-66.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 CUP 47.50

$4.45 $4.45

-55.51%

Eggs

$3.35 CUP 80.5

$4.35 $4.35

-22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.65 CUP 136

$12.73 $12.73

-55.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 CUP 125

$12.46 $12.46

-58.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 CUP 266

$16.95 $16.95

-34.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CUP 100

$5.30 $5.30

-21.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 CUP 26.87

$1.70 $1.70

-34.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 CUP 43.43

$4.40 $4.40

-58.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 CUP 42.42

$5.01 $5.01

-64.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.19

$2.87 $2.87

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CUP 58.3

$3.13 $3.13

-22.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.59

$2.32 $2.32

-57.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.87

$2.34 $2.34

-57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$10.55 $10.55

-68.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 CUP 235

$14.94 $14.94

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CUP 43.61

$2.12 $2.12

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 CUP 52.4

$3.69 $3.69

-40.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.43

$2.37 $2.37

-92.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.34 CUP 488

$65.1 $65.1

-68.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 CUP 51.0

$3.42 $3.42

-38.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 CUP 10.38

$1.89 $1.89

-77.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 CUP 473

$30.16 $30.16

-34.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CUP 31.12

$0.98 $0.98

32.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$71.4K CUP 1.7M

$35.9K $35.9K

98.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$71.8K CUP 1.7M

$25.9K $25.9K

176.75%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$36.97 CUP 887

$218 $218

-83.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.38 CUP 825

$61.0 $61.0

-43.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$230 CUP 5,510

$74.8 $74.8

206.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 CUP 948

$44.42 $44.42

-11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 CUP 307

$22.53 $22.53

-43.14%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.44

$14.80 $14.80

-93.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$111 CUP 2,661

$1,476 $1,476

-92.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CUP 317.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-48.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.34 CUP 992

$54.4 $54.4

-23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.05 CUP 793

$43.59 $43.59

-24.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 CUP 1,674

$92.9 $92.9

-24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 CUP 1,694

$114 $114

-38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 CUP 8,246

$1,639 $1,639

-79.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 CUP 11.9K

$1,358 $1,358

-63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 CUP 21.3K

$2,699 $2,699

-67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 CUP 14.7K

$2,199 $2,199

-72.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$360 CUP 8,641

$3,269 $3,269

-88.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 CUP 8,024

$2,589 $2,589

-87.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$36.10 CUP 866

$4,357 $4,357

-99.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.38

6.21

51.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cuba: August 31, 2026

Last update for United States: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $269 in Cuba, $1,606 in United States. Capital cities: $256 in Havana vs $1,373 in Columbia, TN.

National salary averages: $36.00 in Cuba, $4,519 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 497% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 226% more in United States.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 12453% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cuba vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $797 per month in Cuba and $3,080 in United States, there's a 286% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Cuba: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Cuba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Cuba, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Cuba wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.